The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-03-05

away their patronage by offering
larger and better returns for the
money. The present movement in
this country, which owes its initiative
to Mr.. Frederick Gore, former editor
of the London Coffee House NeaCS, has
already attracted a large amount of
public attention. Steps have been
taken in this city looking to the for
nation of stock company and the
early introduction of q coffee-house
system. The English coffee-house, as
it is known to-day, originated in a
suggestion made by Mr.. Moody while
engaged in evangelstic work among
the working-men of liverpool about
twelve years ago, The evangelist there
saw and called attention to the need OF
| public resorts which should help to
draw wOrking-men and the poorer
classes away from the rum-shops.
Acting on the hint, company was
| formed and a system of coffee-houses
established. The business was tinan-
cial success from the beginning; there
are now siXty-one coffee-houses in Liv-
erpool, paying yearly divideqd of
ten per cent. on invested capital. from
Liverpool the movement spread
throughout England, and nearly all
the large cities and many of the small
er towns now have coffec-houses. Over
two hundred limited companies are.
engaged in the business in England,
paying all the way from five to ten
per cent. in dividends. Out of seven
ty-nine companies, six paid last year
over ten per cent, and thirty-six from
five to nine per cent. One coffee-house
in Birmingham has been in existence
for nine years, and up to the past two
years has paid ten per cent. divi-
dends, and since then has paid an
extra bonus of five per cent. In addi-
ton, the employees have received per-
centage of the profits besides their SAL
aries.
In London the coffce-house idea has
taken the form of the ''cocoa-room,
managed under what is known as the
Lockhart system. In these cocoa-rooms
food and drink of excellent quality are
sold at prices which come within the
range of the poorest, They have be-
sides other attractions which the
cheap drinking houses do not have. A
correspondence of the Churchnaa, speak
ing of the Lockhart system, says that
in every neighborhood where these
cocoa-rooms have been established in
London the drinking saloons are doing
most Improbable business, and many
of them have been compelled to close
their doors. The projectors of the
system, it is added, make no profess
sions of philanthropic intentions, but
conduct the business on strictly
paying basis and solely for profit
AS to the general results of the coffee
and cocoa business on the drink traffic
in England, the fact is adduced that in
1885 the revenue from alcohol In En-
gland was 91,179,000 less than in 1884,
and that after making allowance for
the increase in population, the revenue.
from %lcohol has decreased about e.
S5S, 600 in the past ten years. There
can be no doubt that this reduction of
| revenue, as well as the marked de-
crease in intoxication observable in
England, is partly owing to the intro
duction of the coffee-houses. After
making allowance for the altered con-
ditons of society in this country, there
is no reason to believe that the system
once established here on Il thoroughly
practical basis would not be as success
full as in England. There can be no,
question that the need is as great.-N
Y. Observer.